The 2025 Oscars: Best Bets and Predictions for the 97th Academy Awards

The 97th Academy Awards will commence this Sunday at 7:00 p.m. ET on ABC.

There won't be any Oppenheimer-esque sweeps this go-around, with many of the marquee awards -- including Best Picture and Best Actor -- seemingly up for grabs.

A dash of surprise and a pinch of controversy figure to launch this ceremony back to its heyday, and you can get in on the action via FanDuel Sportsbook's 2025 Oscars odds.

You can also check out FanDuel's 2025 Oscars Props Sheet if you're playing along at home with friends.

With that, let's make some Oscar predictions for this Sunday's ceremony.

Betting Picks for the 2025 Oscars

Best Picture

Conclave (+260)

For the first time in a few years, the Best Picture race is firmly up for debate.

Sean Baker's Anora (-200) emerged as the early favorite last May after winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes. The film's hype train experienced some mechanical issues -- even getting shut out at the Golden Globes -- before pulling out their finest '04 Red Sox impression, picking up key precursor wins for best feature film at the DGA, PGA, and Critics' Choice Awards. The PGA (Producers Guild Awards) has predicted 14 of the last 20 Best Picture winners, so it's no surprise to see Anora atop the list here.

But in an awards season as topsy-turvy as this one, we have to be prepared for an upset, right?

Edward Berger's Conclave could see to it. The film took home the BAFTA for best film and the SAG for performance by a cast in a motion picture. Though it's fair to wonder if it had home-court advantage on British grounds, the SAG nod is telling. In the last 10 years, the PGA (7) and SAG Award (6) have the two highest correlations with the Best Picture winner.

Moreover, Conclave is the odds-on favorite to win Best Adapted Screenplay (-900) and Best Film Editing (-140) this Sunday. Since 2000, eight different films have won the Academy Award for film editing and screenplay (adapted or original). All but one of these films (The Social Network) went on to win Best Picture.

Though oft-dubbed a "priests throw shade and diva down" movie -- the papacy's counter to Mean Girls -- Conclave has all the fixings of your typical Oscar bait. The cast (Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini) is as timeless as the topic at hand, and perhaps the Academy will grant extra brownie points for how fun it was to hear them say "cardinale" time and again.

Anora and Conclave were the only two films to pick up big wins outside the Golden Globes and therefore the top options to consider in this market. Ultimately, I give a slight lean to Conclave. But -- as the film's Cardinal Lawrence put it -- "if there was only certainty, and no doubt, there would be no mystery."

It's nice to have a bit of mystery back at the Oscars.

Best Director

Sean Baker (-195)

As mentioned, Sean Baker took home the top prize at this year's Directors Guild Awards.

Notably, 18 of the last 20 DGA winners went on to win Best Director at the Oscars. That's good for a 90.0% hit rate -- up from the 66.1% implied probability on Baker's -195 odds.

It could be as simple as that.

Best Actor

Timothee Chalamet (+185)

Timothee Chalamet's press tour for A Complete Unknown was a sight to behold.

It may just win him an Academy Award.

It's no secret that an Oscars campaign extends far beyond the movie set. Appear too awards-hungry, and the voting body will be quick to put you in your place (I won't call out Bradley Cooper here, but others would). Austin Butler learned the hard way that the method shtick only works for tried and true acting sickos such as Daniel Day-Lewis and Joaquin Phoenix. And then there are those who don't "care" enough, though Kieran Culkin has taken a Roman Roy-esque approach to that notion.

Chalamet's promotional tour for A Complete Unknown struck a perfect balance. He was giving out sharp picks on College GameDay and citing Parker Navarro's completion percentage all in the name of getting the masses interested in a Bob Dylan biopic they maybe wouldn't have seen otherwise, and his press skills didn't go unnoticed. He capped it all of by poking fun at his award L's during his Saturday Night Live monologue and performing some Dylan deep cuts for the day ones.

However, ushering in a comeback seemed out of reach after Adrien Brody received the best actor nod at the Golden Globes, BAFTA, and Critics' Choice Awards for his performance in The Brutalist.

That is until this past Sunday's SAG Awards. Here, Chalamet pulled off the upset, launching him back into the Oscars race.

Since 2004, 18 out of 20 SAG winners for outstanding actor in a lead role went on to win Best Actor at the Oscars. It is the single-most important precursor award to speak of and makes Chalamet an intriguing bet at +185.

Perhaps the Academy is coming around on just how triumphant it was for Chalamet to portray Bob Dylan without it being painfully on the nose. Brody has deeper ties within the Academy, but I'll always take the SAG winner when it's being offered at plus money.

Best Actress

Demi Moore (-240)

Good thing Demi Moore is great at giving speeches.

Moore took home the best actress hardware at the Golden Globes, Critics' Choice Awards, and SAG Awards. The SAG Award for female actor does not show as much overlap with the Oscars as it does in the male category. Even still, 9 of the last 12 SAG winners followed it up with a Best Actress victory at the Oscars.

Mickey Madison (+200) has a case for her titular role in Anora. She'd get my vote if they let me have one. But despite picking up a BAFTA win, the deck is stacked against her.

Since 2000, 14 different actresses have won the SAG and Critics' Choice Award outright. All but two of them went on to win Best Actress at the Oscars. Add in that the Academy isn't known for being friendly to newcomers, and this award seems like Demi's to lose.

Best Supporting Actor

Someone better direct Kieran Culkin to FanDuel Sportsbook's Oscars market if he wants to avoid yet another unprepared awards speech.

Culkin won best supporting actor at the Golden Globes, Critics' Choice, BAFTA, and SAG Awards for his role in A Real Pain. He's clearly never heard of a gentleman's sweep and has -1800 odds to win the Oscar this Sunday.

The only thing up in the air is whether Culkin will acknowledge fellow nominee and Succession brethren Jeremy Strong in his acceptance speech.

Best Supporting Actress

The chalk has run amuck in the supporting category.

Despite Karla Sofia Gascon's best efforts, Emilia Perez is expected to get some love this weekend.

Zoe Saldana (-1100) is the heavy favorite to win Best Supporting Actress. Similar to Culkin, Saldana swept the main precursor awards.

Did I understand Emilia Perez? No. Did anyone understand Emilia Perez? Also no? Then again, Three 6 Mafia has an Oscar and Paul Thomas Anderson doesn't. We've just got to let certain things go.

(But seriously, can someone please give PTA an Oscar? He's becoming the Jayson Tatum of filmmaking, and I won't stand for it.)

Best Original Screenplay

Sean Baker's Anora (-260) is the favorite to win Best Original Screenplay after winning the same title at the WGA Awards.

Jesse Eisenberg's A Real Pain (+550) is a fun, albeit long shot, sleeper. He upset Baker at the BAFTA Awards last weekend.

Best Adapted Screenplay

The line "although we sisters are supposed to be invisible, God has nevertheless given us eyes and ears" walked hand-in-hand with a vape-fiend cardinal. For that, Peter Straughan is expected to be rewarded.

Conclave has -900 odds to win Best Adapted Screenplay this weekend.

Best Costume Design

Here's one for the Wicked faithful.

If press junket performances could win you an Oscar, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo would have one more Academy Award than Paul Thomas Anderson.

Ariana and Cynthia's press tour antics were so unhinged that we had them grinding tape on their own interviews.

Although Wicked won't pick up any of the marquee awards this weekend, the film is a heavy favorite in the design categories, including Best Costume Design (-1100).

Best Animated Feature

Flow (+220)

I'm not an animated movies savant, but Bill Hader said that Flow was the best movie he saw this year.

I trust Bill Hader.

Best Film Editing

Conclave (-140)

Isabella Rossellini didn't have many lines in Conclave. The heavy lifting of her character was done through thoughtful editing. The film's editing helped turn the dial up on its thriller qualities. I think it should be a heavier favorite here, and we can back it at bettable odds.

Best International Feature Film

Emilia Perez (+125)

Emilia Perez's fall from grace is one for the history books.

The film was already getting some guff before lead actress Karla Sofia Gascon's problematic tweets resurfaced. She even threw shots at Selena Gomez -- her co-star in the movie.

The "scandal" broke after Oscar nominations were voted on and helps explain why Emilia Perez leads the way with 13 nominations.

Even still, it doesn't make sense that Emilia Perez (+125) has longer odds than I'm Still Here (-160) for Best International Feature Film. Both movies are nominated for Best Picture, but the former (+5000) has shorter odds than the latter (+10000) in that category.

Bad press has set Emilia Perez back more than 15 yards, but for a film that received so much love from this very Academy, I have to imagine it is still in good standing to pick up Best International Feature Film.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.